Saxophone



July 5, 1949. E. J. IGILLESPIE 2,474,336

Fiied Sept. 29. 1945 4 Shees-$heet 1 INVENTOR.

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Earl J GLZZap humluhm J 1949- E; J. GILLESPIE 2,474,836

SAXOPHONE I Filed sein. 29. 1945 4 Sheets-Shae; 4

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Patented July 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAXOPHONE Earl J.Gillespie, Elkhart, Ind.

Application September 29, 1945, Serial No. 619,378

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates, in general, to musical instruments, and hasparticular relation to improvements in saxophones.

As well understood in the art, a saxophone is a musical instrumentcomprising a tubular body of generally conical and more or lessconvoluted form sounded by a mouthpiece provided with a reed and havingabout twenty holes controlled by keys and pads. In the past, the fieldof use of such instruments was limited, but there have beenimprovements, and today saxophones are in use in symphonic, military,concert, and dance bands. The now generally known and accepted naturaland usable range of the saxophone is still, however, more or lesslimited or restricted, extending at the upper limit to three line f.

One of the main objects of the present invention is to provide animproved saxophone which will provide new and advantageous results andeliminate limitations or restrictions previously presented.

Another object of the invention is to extend the now generally known andaccepted natural and usable upper limits of a saxophone above the upperlimits of the range heretofore provided and, more particularly, abovethree line f. The embodiment of the invention shown in the drawingsextends the now generally known and accepted natural and usable upperlimits of the saxophone nine consecutive chromatic semitones.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for securing the newand advantageous results which will be within master of the ordinaryperformer.

Another object of the invention is to form the tubular body of thesaxophone with a taper and, more specifically, with difierent tapersalong different portions thereof, as will hereinafter appear, with theangularity of the different tapers such and the tapers so correlatedthat the upper usable limits of the saxophone are extended above threeline 1, and, more particularly, nine consecutive chromatic semi-tones.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for securing the neWand advantageous results Without changing the existing accepted valvesand fingering of the instrument for use in the regular register playingof the instrument.

Another object of the invention is to provide the tapered form of thetubular body in combination with an added air vent in the upper /3 ofthe tubular body and keys and pads for use in the regular registerfingering of the instrument whereby the new and advantageous. resultsset forth are secured.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowin detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings which illustrate the manner of constructing and operating oneform of saxophone embodying the present invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a saxophone embodying the presentinvention, taken from one side thereof;

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the saxophone shown in Figure 1, takenfrom the opposite side;

Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, and '7 show more or less diagrammatically thetapered portions which make up the tubular body of the saxophone;

Figure 8 is a fingering chart showing the extended scale secured withthe saxophone shown in Figures 1 to '7, inclusive;

Figure 9 is a more or less diagrammatic elevational view showing onesuitable location for the added or special air vent;

Figure 10 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line li.!i 0 ofFigure 9;

Figure 11 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line l ll l ofFigure 9; and

Figure 12 is a detail sectional View of the added air vent member.

Referring now to the drawings, the invention is shown, for purposes ofillustration, embodied in a saxophone which comprises a tubular bodycomposed of the longitudinal tubular portion l, the tubular neck 2,which is usually detachably fastened at 3 to the tubular portion 1, abend and a bell or flare 5 at the opposite end of the tubular portion l.The tubular portion I, bend 4, and the bell or flare 5 are firmlyunited, for example, by soldering or the like. The outer end of the neck2 has a mouthpiece 6 which is provided with a suitable reed (not shown).

The instrument is provided with keys or finger pieces and valves or padsfor use in the regular register fingering of the instrument. These arewell understood in the art and will not be described in detail. Sufiiceit, for purposes of the present specification and to understand thefingering chart to be described in connection with Figure 8, to say thatthe instrument has keys Ill, ll, l2, l3, l4, l5, i6, i1, it, iii, 20,2!, 22, and 2t, finger pieces A, C, D, E, F, G, and H, and a special oradded air vent at the finger piece B. The special or added air vent maybe otherwise disposed in any part of the upper one-third of the tube ofthe instrument within the scope of the present invention, for example,at the thumb piece 85. The key 18 controls valve or pad 2 key 19controls valve or pad 26, key 20 controls valve or pad 21, key IDcontrols valve or pad 28, key I l controls valve or pad 29, key I2controls valve or pad 30, key l3 controls th octave valve or pad 3|,also the lower octave valve or pad on the arm 86, key M controls valveor pad 32, key l controls valve or pad 33, key I6 controls valve or pad34, key ll controls valve or pad 35, key 2! controls valve or pad 36,key 22 controls valve or pad 31, and key 23 controls valve or pad 38.

In the saxophone illustrated in the drawing, the valves or pads 35, 34,31, and 3B are the B- flat valve, B-natural valve, E-flat valve, and Cvalve, respectively. The key I4 is the key for the G-sharp valve or pad.The bell 5 is provided with a bell brace 40. The B-flat valve hinge isshown at 46, and the B-natural valve hinge is shown at 4| in Figure 1.An adjustable thumb rest is provided at 80.

The G-sharp valve control mechanism is similar to the G-sharpvalvecontrol mechanism more fully shown and described in my copendingapplication Serial No. 579,325, filed February 23, 1945.

The octave valve control mechanism is similar to the octave valvecontrol mechanism more fully shown and described in my copendingapplication Serial No. 579,324, filed February 23, 1945, now U. S.Patent 2,425,796.

The B-flat valve 35 and B-natural valve 34 are preferably provided witha demountable valve uard 43 which is similar to the demountable valveguard more fully shown and described in my copending application SerialNo. 579,323, filed February 23, 1945, now U. S. Patent 2,425,795.

The tubular body of the instrument has a tapering formation and, moreparticularly, different tapers along different portions thereof, withthe angularity and lengths of the different tapers such, and thedifferent tapered portions 50 correlated, that the upper usable limitsof the saxophone are extended above the upper limits of the rangeheretofore provided and, more particularly, above three line f.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the tubular body startsat a given diameter at the upper end 45 (Figure 6) and continueslengthwise with an inside taper of approximately 2-2'-2" to a point 46approximately 15.89% of its entire length, from this point 46 (Figure'7) on cylindrically for 2.78% of its entire length to a point 41, frompoint 41 (Figure 3) with a taper of approximately 1-38 for approximately44.03% of its entire length to point 48, from point 46 (Figure 5) onwith a taper of approximately 1-14'-25" for approximately 18.04% of itsentire length to point 49, and from point 49 (Figure 4) on with a taperof approximately 2-49'-10" for approximately 19.26% of its entire lengthto point 50.

The bore of the tubular body fashioned in the manner above describedprogressively accumulates the cubical content and velocity of the aircolumn within the tube so as to split the natural vibrations and amplifythe sympathetic vibrations to produce nine consecutive chromaticsemi-tones beyond the existing accepted upper limits of the saxophone,i. e., nine consecutive chromatic semi-tones above three line 1,particularly in combination with the use of a vent placed in the tube insuch manner as to release the sympathetic vibrations to produce anatural chromatic altissimo register not heretofore existing but easilyplayable with the present invention, extending to din the four lineoctave.

As shown in Figures 9, 10, 11, and 12, the valve or pad 52 under thecontrol of the special vent pearl B (Figure 2) has a special or addedvent 53. This vent 53 is preferably located in the 11pper third of thetubular body of the instrument and, as already pointed out, releases thesympathetic vibrations to produce a natural chromatic altissimo registernot heretofore existing but easily playable with this invention,extending to d in the four line octave.

Any saxophone completely embodying the principles of this invention willhave a natural range of 41 consecutive chromatic semi-tones extendingfrom B in the great octave to d in the four line octave inclusive.

As indicated by the legends and lettering on the fingering chart (Figure8), the keys are indicated by small, generally oblong or rectangularfigures 54, the finger pearls are indicated by white dots or circles 55,and the special or added vent is indicated by a white circle or whitedot 56 with a white center or white circle therein. A black dot 5'!denotes pearl closed, a white dot or circle 58 denotes pearl open, ablack oblong 59 denotes a key depressed, a black dot with White center,as shown at 60, denotes vent in use, and a white circle or dot withwhite center or circle therein, as shown at 6|, denotes vent open.

In the fingering chart (Figure 8) the extended scale provided by thesaxophone embodying the present invention is bracketed or indicated bydotted lines 62 marked Extended scale. The first extended chromaticsemi-tone is indicated at 53, the second extended chromatic semi-tone isindicated at 64, the third extended chromatic semi-tone is indicated at65, the fourth extended chromatic semi-tone is indicated at 66, thefifth extended chromatic semi-tone is indicated at 61, the sixthextended chromatic semi-tone is indicated at 68, the seventh extendedchromatic semi-tone is indicated at 69, the eighth extended chromaticsemi-tone is indicated at 70, and the ninth extended chromatic semi-toneis indicated at H The first added chromatic semi-tone is obtained withpearl A closed, key [3 depressed, the special or added vent, 56, 53 inuse, pearl D closed, and key 20 depressed.

The second added chromatic semi-tone is obtained with pearl A closed,key I3 depressed, the special or added vent 56, 53 in use, pearl Fclosed, and key 20 depressed.

The third added chromatic semi-tone is obtained with pearl A closed, key[3 depressed, the special or added vent 56, 53 in use, and key 20depressed.

The fourth added chromatic semi-tone is obtained with key l3 depressed,the special or added vent 56, 53 open, pearls D, E, G, and H closed, andkey 22 depressed.

The fifth added chromatic semi-tone is obtained with the special oradded vent open, keys l3 and l l depressed, pearls D, E, G, and Hclosed, and key 22 depressed.

The sixth added chromatic semi-tone is obtained with keys l0, l3, H, 20,and 22 depressed, the special or added vent open, and pearls D, E, G,and H closed.

The seventh added chromatic semi-tone is obtained with keys Ill, l3, II,20, and 22 depressed, the special or added vent in use, and pearls D,

E, G, and H closed.

The eighth added chromatic semi-tone is obtained with keys I0, I 3, H,I8, and 22 depressed,

the special or added vent in use, and pearls D, E, G, and H closed.

The ninth added chromatic semi-tone is obtained with keys l0, ll, l2,l8, l8, and 22 depressed, the special or added vent in use, and pearlsD, E, G, and H closed.

The embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings is forillustrative purposes only, and it is to be expressly understood thatsaid drawings and the accompanying specification are not to be construedas a definition of the limits or scope of the invention, reference beinghad to the appended claims for that purpose.

I claim:

1. A saxophone comprising a tubular body having an upper octave hole andan added vent positioned inwardly of the upper octave hole and providedwith keys and pads for use in the regular register fingering of theinstrument, said tubular body having a plurality of sections each havinga different individual taper whereby the upper usable limits of thesaxophone are extended above three line f by the use of the keys and.pads used in the regular register fingering of the instru ment.

2. A saxophone comprising a tubular body having an upper octave hole andan added vent positioned inwardly of said upper octave hole and providedwith keys and pads for use in the regular register fingering of theinstrument, said tubular body having a plurality of differentindividually tapered sections along different portions thereof, theangularity of said different tapers being such and the tapers socorrelated that the upper usable limits of the saxophone are extendedabove three line 1 by the use of the keys and pads used in the regularregister fingering of the instrument.

3. A saxophone comprising a tubular body having an upper octave hole andan added vent in the upper of the tubular body and inwardly of the upperoctave hole and provided with keys and pads for use in the regularregister fingering of the instrument, said tubular body having aplurality of sections each having a different individual taper wherebythe upper usable limits of the saxophone are extended nine consecutivechromatic semi-tones by the use of the keys and pads used in the regularregister fingering of the instrument.

4. A saxophone comprising a tubular body having an upper octave hole andan added vent in the upper /3 of the tubular body and inwardly of theupper octave hole and provided with keys and pads for use in the regularregister fingering of the instrument, said tubular body having aplurality of different individually tapered sections along differentportions thereof, the angularity of said different tapers being such andthe tapers so correlated that the upper usable limits of the saxophoneare extended nine consecutive chromatic semi-tones by the use of thekeys and pads used in the regular register fingering of the instrument.

5. A saxophone comprising a tubular body having an upper octave hole andan added vent positioned inwardly of said upper octave hole, saidtubular body having its bore fashioned of individually tapered sectionswith the taper of one section different from the taper of a succeedingor preceding section to accumulate the cubical content and velocity ofthe air column within the tubular body whereby to split the naturalvibrations and amplify the sympathetic vibrations to extend the upperusable limits of the saxophone above three line 6. A saxophonecomprising a tubular body starting at a given diameter at the upper endand continuing lengthwise with an inside taper of approximately 2-2'-1"to a point approximately 15.89% of its entire length, from this point oncylindrically for 2.78% of its entire length, from this point on with ataper of 1-38' for approximately 44.03% of its entire length, from thispoint on with a taper of approximately 1-14'-25" for approximately18.04% of its entire length, and from this point on with a taper ofapproximately 2-49'-10" for approximately 19.26% of its entire length.

7. A saxophone comprising a tubular body and provided with keys and padsfor use in the regular fingering of the instrument, said tubular bodystarting at a given diameter at the upper end continuing lengthwise withan inside taper of approximately 2-2'-1" to a point approximately 15.89%of its entire length, from this point on cylindrically for 2.78% of itsentire length, from this point on with a taper of 1-38 for approximately44.03% of its entire length, from this point on with a taper ofapproximately 1-14'-25" for approximately 18.04% of its entire length,and from this point on with a taper of approximately 2-49'10 forapproximately 19.26% of its entire length.

8. A saxophone comprising a tubular body provided with an air vent inthe upper A; of the tubular body and having keys and pads for use in theregular fingering of the instrument, said tubular body starting at agiven diameter at the upper end and continuing lengthwise with an insidetaper of approximately 22-1" to a point approximately 15.89% of itsentire length, from this point on cylindrically for 2.78% of its entirelength, from this point on with a taper of 1-38' for approximately44.03% of its entire length, from this point on with a taper ofapproximately 1-14'-25" for approximately 18.04% of its entire length,and from this point on with a taper of approximately 2-49'-10" forapproximately 19.25% of its entire length.

EARL J. GILLESPIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,480,039 Alpers Jan. 8, 19241,703,109 Johnson Feb. 26, 1929 2,051,176 Powell Aug. 18, 1936 2,133,625Loomis Oct. 18, 1938

